Toy railroad car with operating search light



July 4, 1961 J. 1 BoNANNo TOY RAILROAD OAR WITH OPERATING SEARCH LIGHTFiled Oct. 28, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l, v A I,/ \\5 mDM I D RH HH u W r my u d0 ATTORNEY July 4, 1961 J. 1 BoNANNo ToyRAILROAD CAR wITH OPERATING SEARCH LIGHT Filed oct. 28, 1955 UnitedStates Patent- 2,990,544 TOY RAILROAD CAR WITH OPERATING SEARCH LIGHTJoseph L. Bonanno, Madison, NJ., assignor to The Lionel Corporation, NewYork, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 28, 1953, Ser. No.388,741 6 Claims. (Cl. 46226) The present invention relates toimprovements in search light cars according to which it is possible toelect the lighting and extinguishment of the lamp in thesearch light atwill by remote control when the car'isr-on the track.

the search light about a vertical axis as long as the lamp To carry outthe above objects the car is designed for use with three-rail toyrailroad nack having a track to be attracted by the track magnet andthis armature actuates a switch in the circuit of the lamp to turn thelamp on and olf at successive energizations of the track` magnet. Thecar can move away from the track mag-i net and maintain the circuitcondition for the lamp as the car travels around the toy track layout.vg.. I

The rotation of the search light beam -about the vertical axis is,according to the present invention, secured by a vibrating magnet andelastic member having ingers on which the search light body issupported. The vibrator magnet is in parallel with the lamp and whenenergized by alternating current sets up a current which causes theheadlight body to rotate.

In the accompanying drawings two forms of the invention are shown: t

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a toy search light car on toy track; y

FIGURE la is a diagrammatic view illustrating one form of constructionfor energizing the search light lamp;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the toy search vlight car withanother form of track magnet operated switch in circuit closingposition, the track magnet being de-energized;

FIGURE 3 is a view of the switch taken in a direction opposite thatofFIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the toy car atenlarged scale showing the construction of the search light and therelations of the track magnet operated switch with the magnet in thetrack;

FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 are sectional views on lines 5 5, 6-6 and 7-7,respectively, of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 8 is a top plan view of the compressible washer which propels therotatable search light head.

FIGURE l illustrates a toy search light car adapted to operate onconventional toy railroad track having wheel bearing rails 10-10 andpower rail 11. The car C has wheeled trucks 12 and 137 a platform 14 onwhich is secured a toy diesel engine 15, and a toy search lightgenerally indicated at S. The toy track is preferably of theconstruction shown in my application Serial No.

It also contemplates a toy search light, car inf ;whic'h it is .alsopossible to obtain: continued turning of magnet The car is provided'withan armature adaptedl I 'Patented July 4, 19 61 89,290, now Patent2,661,852, abovereferred to. The track carries a track magnet M having acoil 16 and magnetizable core 17. This magnet can be energized sillustrated in the above patent. y

FIGURE 1a shows an arrangement wherein the armature 20 above the magnetM acts on a ratchetdrum 21 to advance it one-eighth of a revolution. The-ratchet drum carries a commutator with contacts 22 and 23,0ne of whichis connected to the search light generally indicated at S, while theother is' connected to a roller 25 carried by the truck 13 bearing onthepower rail so that the .lamp may be turned on and oi by energizingthe track magnet when the car is located so as to place the armature 20over the track magnet M.

FIGURES 2 to 8, inclusive, show a complete embodiment of the searchlight and its controls. Here the armature operated switch and control isillustrated in a form in which all the parts are secured to a verticalinsulating plate 30 adapted to be secured to the platform 14 bya springfastener indicated at 31, which engages a prong 32 The arm 33 is biasedto the fupV position as in FIG- ,URES 2,'and3 by a spring 36. The armv33carries a pawl 37 pivoted to it at 38.*-v The pawl has a weighted tail39 which biases it counterclockwise and is provided with a nose-formingflange 40 extending to the right, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. Theextent of movement of the larm 33 is determined by the length of theslot 42 through -which the pivot pin 38 passes. The ange 40 extendsrearwardly as indicated at 43 in FIGURE 5, and passes through a slot 44in the plate 30. The slot has a beveled lower surface y44a against whichthe pawl extension 43 is brought.

The insulating plate 30 carries a metal bridging member 45 secured in anotch 46 in the plate 30 and by a rivet 47. This bridging member 45 andplate 30 support a metal rotor 48 which forms an insert in a plasticmolding 49. The rotor is formed to provide a G-Segment commutato-r 51and the molding-49 is formed to provide a 12-toothed gear 50 and to llin between the commutator segments. A spring contact member 52 issecured by a rivet 53 to the insulating plate 30 in a position to bearon the face of the rotor and make contact with the metal segments. Whenthe armature 35 is released the parts are in the position shown inFIGURES 2 and 3, and when the armature is energized, it is pulled downas indicated in FIGURE 4 and the rotor 49 advances one tooth. This willshift the rotor from contact making position as in FIGURE 2, to opencircuit position, as shown in FIG- URE 4.

De-energization of the track magnet or moving the car away from thetrack magnet merely permits the armature and parts carried by it to risewithout affecting the circuit previously established.

The lower end 54 of the bridging member 45 is connected by wire 55 withthe current collector 56 of the v usual construction, carried by thetruck 13. The lower end of the contact 52 is connected by wires 57 and57 with the lamp and vibrator coil in a manner to be described.

The right hand end of the platform 14 as shown in FIGURE 4 is providedwith a raised seat 60 and a cylindrical ange 61 above this seat. Thewall of the platform 14 is provided with an opening 62, see FIGURE 7.This opening is shown as square and has four notches indicated at 63.This platform is adapted to receive the stationary parts of the searchlight assembly. This search platform. The wire 57 above referred toleads to thecoil`68. The ,other end of the coil 68 is grounded to asoldering,V lug 70 carried Vby the plate 66. The wire 57' extends upthrough a washer 71 which carries center contact 72 for the lamp 73.

The upperface of the coil form 67 provides a flat, annular platform toreceive a washer 75, made of a soft, rubber-like formulation andprovided with integral, up-

v wardly and oblique-ly extending projections 76. These f all lean inthe same direction away from the radial line extending through them.

The search light housing is indicated at 80. It has a hole 80a toaccommodate the lamp socket. It is made of opaque plastic material, andcarries a metal reector 81 and a transparent cover 82. It is pivotallymounted on upwardly extending arms 83 of a bracket 84. This bracket issecured to a magnetizable cover 85 which extends down about the rubberwasher 75 and the coil 68. Its lower edge 86 is inside the cylindricalriser 61, The cover 85 has a tiat, downwardly facing surface 87 whichrests on the soft fingers 76vof the washer 75.

The search light housing 80 and bracket V84 and cover 85 may readily beremoved from the position shown in FIGURE 4 for shipment. When the partsare in the porsitionshown in FIGURE 4, the search light housing andcover are supported on the lingers as above mentioned, and the cover 85is inside the iiange 61 so that the loose part'is's'ecufely held inplace as the car moves along the track. I

When current is supplied from the power rail through the control'switchto the lamp and-the'coil 68, the lamp is lighted and the coilV energizedso as to vibrate at the frequency of the alternating current.V Thisvibration is communicated to the search light housing and as the load onthe fingers 76 varies .up and down, these ngers stretch and compress andimpart a rotary movement to the cover 85 and search light housing sothat a rotating beam is produced about the lighted lamp. The rotation ofthe rotating beam is indicated in FIGURE 1 by the arrow H and thevertical adjustment of the housing about the horizontal is indicated bythe arrow V, FIGURE l'.

Since it is understood that the invention may be embodied in other formsand constructions within the scope of the claims, I wish it toV beunderstood that the particular form shown is but one ofthese forms, and,various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwiselimit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

' 1. A toy search Elight car having wheeled trucks one of which has acurrent collector, a metal car platform supported from the trucks andhaving a preassembled toy search light stator symmetrical about avertical axis and comprising a lamp socket shell, a coil form having anupwardly facing seat below the socket shell, a vibrator coil in the coilform, a bottom plate below the coil form and to which one side of thecoil is' connected, a magnetizable tube passing through the coil formand securing the socket shell and bottom plate together, means to securethe search light stator to the car platform to ground the coil andsocket shell, wiring connecting the other contact of the socket and theother side of the coil tothe current collector, a ring made ofelastomeric material resting in the coil form and having upwardlyextending, tangentially leaning, oblique lingers, and a toy Search lightrotor having a hood about the lamp socket, a magnetizable skirt aboutthe stator, a at annular under surface resting on the ngers and adaptedto compress and to release the ngers when the coil is energized byalternating current.

2. The toy search light car of claim l having a car carried switchbetween the current collector and the lamp and coil circuits, and aswitch operator including a car carried armature for operating theswitch and disposed in position to be actuated by a track carried magnetbelow the same.

3. A rotatingV toy search light having a fixed, preassembled statorsymmetrical about a vertical axis and comprising a lamp socket shell, acoil form having an upwardly facing seat below the socket shell, avibrator coil in the coil form, a bottom plate below the coil form andto whichone side of the coil is connected, a magnetizable tube passingthrough the coil form and securing the socket shell and bottom platetogether, wiring connecting the other contact of the socket and theother side of the coil to a power source, a ring made of elastomericmaterial resting in the coil form and having upwardly extendingtangentially leaning, oblique fingers, and a top. search light rotorhaving a hood about the lamp socket, a magnetizable skirt about thestator, a flat annular under surface resting on the fingers, and adaptedto compress and to release the fingers when the coil is energized byalternating current.

4. A toy railroad car for use with a toy railroad track having wheelbearing and power rails .and having an elec.- tromagnet adjacent saidrails, comprising wheeled means for moving the car over the tracksincluding a current collector maintained in contact with said powerrailf, an upwardly biased armature downwardly movable 'when attracted bythe electromagnet when said armature is positioned thereover, a switchon said car in series with said currentcollector and connected to saidarmature and movable thereby alternately into an opened and closedposition, and a search light electrically connected to said switch.

5. A railroad car according to .claim 4, wherein said search light isrotatably mounted on said car, an electromagnetic coil electricallyconnected in parallel with said search light, and a vibration deviceincluding a magnetic portion operatively associated with Saidelectromagnetic coil for vibration thereby and including means to effectrotation thereof during vibration, said magnetic portion being connectedto said search light, whereby said device is rotated by saidelectromagnetic coil upon energization of the latter to eiect a similarrotation of said search Y light.

6. A toy railroad car having wheeled ltrucks and a current collectorcooperable with a three-rail toy railroad track, a car carried armaturebiased to one position and attractable to a second position by a trackcarried magnet,

a car carried current consuming device connected to said Cil currentcollector, and a switch'connected to said armature and movable into anopened and closed position by successive attraction operations of thearmature and remaining in set V`position when Vthe armature is releasedwhereby the current consuming device is energized as the car moves onthe track.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS e

